Finding Joy Starts with Choosing Joy

So much of what we talk about is hard stuff. Caregiving is hard. Focusing on self-care is hard. Tuning out all of the negatives from external sources is hard. But this week’s topic – What brings you joy? – really can be easy if you have the right mindset … even if you feel exhausted from compassion fatigue, pandemic fatigue, or just plain old fatigue.

Joy is a core emotion that counteracts uncomfortable feelings such as sadness. Joy can improve your physical and mental health, boost your resilience and overall well-being, and give you the strength and determination to overcome obstacles. It can provide major benefits, but it doesn’t have to come from major life events. Joy can often be found in little, quiet moments of connection with the world around us. These are micro-joys, as we’ve discussed before.

So, how do we find joy in difficult times? For me, it starts with noticing all of the beauty around me and choosing to feel joy. It’s an inner feeling that comes from your heart, but it can be sparked by all kinds of external things: a cardinal sitting on an icy branch … the glistening of newly fallen snow … a colorful sunrise or sunset … a rainbow … a ripple in a body of water … the way my dog wiggles when she gets a scratch.

Just thinking about these things fills me with joy. These are things that take my breath away … make my heart sing … put a huge smile on my face … fill my soul … and have me jumping (or dancing) for joy.

In researching this topic, I found a great new resource in Ingrid Fetell Lee and her book, The Aesthetics of Joy. Lee’s concept of joyspotting – the simple practice of tuning your attention to the joy in your surroundings – is something anyone can do at any time, and the more you do it, the more joy you’ll start noticing all around you. Here's her blog, and her Joyspotter’s Guide to help you get started.

As a long-time joyspotter myself, I concur wholeheartedly that “joy is all around you … you just need to LOOK for it.” She also notes: “Once you’ve found it, don’t keep it to yourself! Research shows that sharing a moment of joy with someone else boosts both your joy levels.”

So, be certain to take time this week to choose joy and notice those things that bring you joy. What joy will YOU spot?